Prospect of fresh US-Russia talks renews hopes for Syria ceasefire

John Kerry says he hopes to meet Sergei Lavrov in Geneva to discuss end of hostilities after earlier talks at G20 summit stalled

The US secretary of state, John Kerry, told western foreign ministers that he hoped to meet his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Geneva over the next 48 hours, to try to agree a new cessation of hostilities in Syria.

The two men had been hoping to announce a deal at the G20 in China on Monday, but the agreement collapsed in acrimony after the US accused Russia of reneging on its previous commitments.